Short Summary

VETERANS' ORGANISATIONS IN WEST GERMANY HAVE PROTESTED AGAINST A FILM IN WHICH A SON OF THE WEST GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, HERR WILLY BRANDT, SATIRISES THE IRON CROSS.

Description

VETERANS' ORGANISATIONS IN WEST GERMANY HAVE PROTESTED AGAINST A FILM IN WHICH A SON OF THE WEST GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, HERR WILLY BRANDT, SATIRISES THE IRON CROSS. THE IRON CROSS WAS THE PRINCIPLE MEDAL FOR VALOUR AWARDED BY GERMANY DURING WORLD WAR TWO.

BOTH HERR BRANDT'S SONS, LARS, AGED 16, AND PETER, AGED 18, APPEAR IN THE FILM, 'CAT AND MOUSE'. IN ONE SCENE, LARS PERFORMS A DANCE WITH THE IRON CROSS TIED AROUND HIS NECK.

ABOUT TWO MILLION GERMAN SOLDIERS WERE AWARDED THE IRON CROSS DURING WORLD WAR TWO.

AMONG THE REACTION SO FAR TO THE FILM HAS BEEN A DEMAND THAT THE BRANDT BOYS BE EXPELLED FROM WEST GERMANY; A THEATRE MANAGER WHO SHOWED THE FILM WAS THREATENED, AND 75 EX-SERVICEMEN'S ORGANISATIONS ARE CAMPAIGNING TO PREVENT THE FILM BEING RELEASED.

THE WEST GERMANY FINANCE MINISTER, HERR JOSEF STRAUSS, A COLLEAGUE OF HERR BRANDT, HAS ALSO SAID THE FILM SHOULD NOT BE RELEASED.

HERR BRANDT GAVE PERMISSION FOR HIS SONS TO APPEAR IN THE FILM. IT WAS MADE IN POLAND.